2009 NFL Power Rankings: Pre...Preseason

by Andrew602 on Aug 12, 2009 5:00 AM MDT

Before the 2009 season officially starts for the Arizona Cardinals in 2 days, here's a look at some of the power rankings from around the web. You can see ~~where the Cardinals got screwed by ESPN,~~ ESPN's rankings, along with a few other websites. This will also be a weekly segment once the season kicks off, just to see what the critics are saying and where they rank us throughout the year. Here are the Pre Preseason rankings that have been posted so far this off season:

ESPN.com- 12th

The defending NFC champs barely crack the top 12 and that came only with an assist from their generous divisional blogger. No respect. (Sando)

Walterfootball.com- 14th

The Cardinals caught fire and made an incredible run to the Super Bowl. They're returning most of their players, and they just had an incredible draft. The problem is, Super Bowl losers have performed very poorly the following year for whatever reason. There's no reason to believe Arizona won't suffer a similar fate.

SI.com- 12th

Just an unsettling offseason, so far. I love the free-agent signing of Bryant McFadden to pair at corner with Dominique Rogers-Cromartie(does any other corner combination in football contain 13 syllables?), but the Cards are too unsettled right now. Will Boldin or Dockett, or both, shoot their way out of town? Will Beanie Wellsbe a good fit for the two-headed running game, along with Tim Hightower? One thing we do know: Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald will be Brady-Moss-like prolific as long as Warner can stay healthy.

CBSSports - 5th

Fall off after the Super Bowl? Not a chance. The Cardinals are built to win for a while, or as long as Kurt Warner stays on the field.

FoxSports - 5th

The most impressive achievement from last year's Super Bowl run was breaking through on a culture change where many had failed before head coach Ken Whisenhunt and QB Kurt Warner.

NFL.com - 9th

The Cardinals had some key losses in offensive coordinator Todd Haley and defensive end Antonio Smith, but they have playmakers on offense and the addition of Chris "Beanie" Wells should help the running game. This is a fragile situation and it remains to be seen if they can handle the success they had in 2008. There might be too many veterans complaining about new contracts to feel comfortable about the placement of the Cardinals at No. 9 on this list.

Interesting rankings for the Cardinals. Evidently the defending NFC champions can't place better then 5th. Critics will always be there but hopefully once the season starts these rankings will change. Do you agree with where the Cardinals were placed? Where would you place them?

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Comments

I think CBS and Fox Sports got where we should be right.

Nice to see we are getting a little more respect but I still prefer the higher up rankings as they can be used to motivate us like last year.

by Pyromnc on Aug 12, 2009 8:31 AM MDT reply actions

about what I expected

Somewhat of a split opinion over whether the Cards are the team that streaked through the playoffs or the team that struggled throughout the regular season. Only time will tell but I like the idea of people doubting this team.

Be careful....to a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

by Bezekira on Aug 12, 2009 8:56 AM MDT reply actions

We still aren’t getting any respect….

by JoeCB1991 on Aug 12, 2009 9:26 AM MDT reply actions

Little tired of seeing New England at #1

they have one of the toughest schedules as well. Sports writers getting their brady koolaid.

by DORRITO on Aug 12, 2009 11:02 AM MDT reply actions

Well, to be fair, this Patriots team, on paper, might just be the best they’ve rolled out during the Belichick era, which is pretty amazing. The only piece they were lacking was a pass rush, but Derrick Burgess should take care of that for them pretty solidly.

by Chg91 on Aug 12, 2009 3:07 PM MDT up reply actions

SI.com = Foolishness

It’s all good the Cards feed off of haterism…

Loyalty is the only Commodity

by Jwit on Aug 12, 2009 5:12 PM MDT reply actions 1 recs

Ken Whisenhunt turned the laughingstock of the NFL into winners, and how little respect they get from the media just encourages them to fight harder to prove them wrong. Hopefully they will do it again last night.

by JoeCB1991 on Aug 12, 2009 6:14 PM MDT reply actions

preseason power rankings

For two of the sources CBS and FOX to give the Cards a number 5 ranking, I think is showing some respect, respect I didn’t expect.

All, accept Walterfootball, had the Cards ranked higher than the Seahawks, the Niners, or the Rams. Again, respect I didn’t expect.

Walterfootball differed from all the other rankings except on its first five rankings, or so. Totally different and thus bizarre. I think Walterfootball is TRYING to be different, and hence the Cards are a casualty of that effort.

by jee mykl tee on Aug 12, 2009 8:37 PM MDT reply actions

So, if I get your point, “different is wrong!”? >_>

Awesome.

by Chg91 on Aug 13, 2009 12:08 AM MDT up reply actions

To clarify on my point and make it more than just unintended flamebait..

I go to walter’s site every now and then, and if you take a look around the place you can see that he actually has some semblance of an idea as to what he is talking about, and genuinely attempts to put some thought his rankings and such. Yeah, his opinion differs, but that is bound to happen when, unfortunately, it seems to me like all the major publications simply go with the flow when it comes to stuff like that.

You may not (and obviously don’t) agree with it, and I’m not saying he’s right or wrong, but you have to respect that he does at least put some genuine thought behind what he puts up on his site, and to toss is aside just because his rankings differ is pretty ridiculous.

by Chg91 on Aug 13, 2009 12:18 AM MDT reply actions

Different is wrong?

This was the first time I’d ever heard of Walterfootball. Nonetheless, he went along with the “major publications” with the top five and the bottom five of the power rankings. It’s all the other rankings he elects to rank totally different from the “major publications”. Since the Cardinals did not make his top five or his bottom five, the Cardinals where doomed, as were a host of other teams, to be placed in a ranking quite different from the “major publications”.

Your case is that Walterfootball is just in being different from the “major publications”. Just or unjust, it works. I noticed him. And I will keep a copy of his rankings and, by the end of the 2009 season, see how he fared. I’m already impressed with his 2008 preseason rankings where he wrote, “In all seriousness, don’t be shocked if Arizona wins the NFC West. Warner must stay healthy for this to happen. Projected WIN Total: 8-10.” And they won 9 games: good enough to win their division last year, and it will likely be enough to win the division again this year.

by jee mykl tee on Aug 13, 2009 4:09 PM MDT up reply actions